Talks and Presentations

The Natural World

	Wild Britain in Four Seasons From bare trees of Winter through an explosion of Spring flowers, nesting birds and flamboyant butterflies of Summer, to a final burst of fungi and Autumnal glory. This talk was originally intended for a general audience but has been well received by Natural History groups and Photographic Societies and we have now a number of versions to meet the needs of different interest groups.
	A Nature Enthusiasts Year Butterflies to birds, spiders to squirrels, and frogs to flowers, we wander from Arctic wastes through our own amazing islands to Southern Europe and beyond. This show is a development of “Wild Britain in Four Seasons” but with added interests for those who like to explore further afield. Photographic Societies, General Interest Groups and all who get pleasure from the natural world will enjoy this talk.
	Wild Orchid Journey April to September, from Britain across Europe – our talk covers a host of species in their most beautiful settings. What is an orchid? What makes them so intriguing?  With graphics to support our images we aim to answer those questions. A fascinating talk especially for Natural History societies and Gardening clubs.
	Wild Flowers from Mountain Top to Seashore We see how wild flowers adapt to a variety of environments from the coasts of remote Scottish Islands to high in the mountains of Europe and Asia. Some will see the mundane wayside flowers as pernicious weeds but closer inspection will reveal hidden beauty to rival many rare species of highly specialised habitats. An inspiring talk for all who love flowers, wild places, and nature’s artistry. We now have two different versions - we look more closely at the ecology aspect for Natural History societies but emphasise the relation to garden plants for Gardening societies.
	Wild Flowers of the High Mountains We take an in-depth look at some of nature’s most tough and resilient flowers. Our images and graphics illustrate many ingenious adaptations to enable these beautiful plants to survive in the harshest of conditions. Botanists and alpine gardening enthusiasts, and all who enjoy a mountain environment, will be captivated by this talk.
	A Year of Birds, Winter Birds, Birds in Summer – 3 different presentations Our bird-watching year from our own garden through winter forests and arctic coasts, to breeding birds in our own islands. “Winter Birds” and “Birds in Summer” give a more in-depth view showing birds in their diverse habitats in different seasons. These presentations will enthuse birders, bird photographers and all round natural history enthusiasts.
	Feathered and Fierce (Birds of Prey) The talk will include several British and European species of owl, along with a range of raptors from the mighty Golden eagle to the tiny Merlin. We look at their habitat and consider the ecosystem including the prey species, decline and recovery due to human activity and the impact of a changing world on their lives.
	Autumn Glory A shorter, artistic presentation where to, quote Keats, we aim to show Autumn as a time of “mists and mellow fruitfulness”. From our own Cumbrian woodlands through the Scottish Highlands and into Northern Europe we seek out colourful arrays of fungi, fruits and leaves. We find insects about to hibernate, wary of entrapment by webs sparkling in early morning dew, and welcome huge flocks of migrant birds. This talk will delight all general interest audiences particularly those with natural history and photographic interests.
	Bogs, Streams and wet places Our story starts in sparkling mountains streams which we follow through bogs, lakes and rivers to finally arrive at the sea. The journey is slow as we discover a wealth of life – flowers, insects, molluscs, amphibians and birds all dependent on these wonderful, wet, weird but always exciting habitats. This talk covers a wide range of subjects and will inspire all natural history enthusiasts.

Wildlife in Wildplaces

	Flora of the Dolomites Many know the Dolomites as a playground for mountaineers and skiers, but in the early days of the last century the Yorkshire born botanist Reginald Farrer found them to be a haven for alpine flowers. We follow in his footsteps and delight in the huge numbers and variety of these beautiful plants. Some we recognise instantly, others like the rare Devil’s Claw and the beautiful Traunsteinera orchid are a whole new experience. This talk will be of particular interest to botanists, gardeners and natural history societies.
	St Kilda and the Western Isles On a voyage through the Hebrides to the St Kilda archipelago, we pause to enjoy the diverse wildlife of this rugged corner of the world. After exploring the sea shore, birds and flower bejewelled sand dunes of Mingulay and the Monach Isles we arrive in St Kilda to find the world’s biggest gannet colony. History shows an interweaving of social and natural history - survival in St Kilda depended on harmony with nature. A talk for all with a passion for wild life in wild places.
	Norway Nature In a country fashioned by the might of glaciers we explore tumbling rivers, dark forests, rugged coasts and bare mountains, and marvel at species from tiny forest and mountain flowers, to fearsome sea eagles and the elusive musk ox. We start in an arctic winter amongst a host of birds in the Barents Sea, then move south through the year to a summer on the coast and mountains of central Norway with the eagles and flowers. Finally we finish our journey in a blaze of autumn colours, reindeer and musk ox. Natural History societies, wild life photographers and all who seek out nature in the raw will find this talk enthralling.
	Island Hopping Of over 6,000 islands around our coasts we can only visit a few in this talk. Most of these are in Scotland, but we start with a bird lovers heaven on the Farne Islands. From there we will make for Shetland, before going west for a brief visit to the mighty cliffs of St Kilda then back to explore the varied islands of the Outer and Inner Hebrides. From towering cliffs and rocky shores, over wild moorland and back to the sandy soils of the unique “machair”, we find nesting birds, inquisitive mammals, and a whole range of tough little plants. This is a talk to stir the hearts of all lovers of wild life in wild places.

Photographic Technique

Close- ups in Nature This is to be a technical talk on macro photography aimed specifically at Photographic Societies. We look at a range of available equipment and consider various problems to be overcome.